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Backup · head to head

AOMEI Backupper vs Paragon Backup & Recovery

AOMEI Backupper logo

AOMEI Backupper

Backup

Complete backup and restore solution for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paragon Backup & Recovery logo

Paragon Backup & Recovery

Backup

Professional-grade backup for Windows

From
$50/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AOMEI Backupper has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AOMEI Backupper windows only, covering Windows 7 through 11; Paragon Backup & Recovery the free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • They diverge on capability: AOMEI Backupper covers System backup, Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AOMEI Backupper and Paragon Backup & Recovery actually diverge.

Attributes where AOMEI Backupper and Paragon Backup & Recovery differ
AttributeAOMEI BackupperParagon Backup & Recovery
Starting priceFree$50/year
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20101994

Identical on both: platforms (Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Backup).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AOMEI Backupper

  • System backup
  • Disk clone
  • File sync
  • Real-time sync
  • Universal restore
  • Bootable media
  • OneDrive
  • Google Drive

Only in Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk backup
  • File-level backup
  • Incremental/differential
  • Recovery media
  • Virtual disk mount
  • UEFI support
  • Windows
  • FTP

Both cover

  • Network shares
  • Windows support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AOMEI Backupper

  • Free disk and file backup on a personal Windows machinenot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • System image and bare metal recoverynot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Cloning a drive when upgrading to a larger disk on the paid editionsnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Scheduled incremental backupsnot Paragon Backup & Recovery

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk and partition backup on Windowsnot AOMEI Backupper
  • Bare metal recovery from an imagenot AOMEI Backupper
  • Scheduled incremental backups for a home machinenot AOMEI Backupper
  • Migrating an installation to a new drive on the paid editionsnot AOMEI Backupper

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AOMEI Backupper

  • Windows only, covering Windows 7 through 11
  • The free Standard edition is licensed for personal use; business use requires a paid edition from $39.95
  • Differential backup, cloud backup and system cloning are all withheld from the free edition, which clones data disks only
  • The free edition reads from disk more slowly than the paid ones
  • Email notifications on Standard are limited to Gmail and Hotmail servers
  • Support on the free edition is business hours rather than 24/7

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • The free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • Windows only, and specifically Windows 10 x64 from 1809, Windows 11 x64 and Windows 11 Arm64
  • Volume and OS copying, partition management and email notifications need the Advanced edition
  • Windows Server support requires the Business edition
  • Paid edition prices are not shown on the product page

Pricing, plan by plan

AOMEI Backupper

Free
  • StandardFree
    • Free forever
    • 1 PC license
    • Data disk cloning only
  • Professional$39.95/one-time
    • 1 PC license
    • System clone
    • Differential backup
  • Workstation$49.95/one-time
    • 1 PC license
    • System clone
    • Differential backup

Paragon Backup & Recovery

$50/year
  • Community Edition$50/year
    • Full disk backup
    • File-level backup
    • Recovery media

Which should you pick?

Choose AOMEI Backupper if

  • You need system backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want disk clone.
AOMEI Backupper review

Choose Paragon Backup & Recovery if

  • You need full disk backup.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want file-level backup.
Paragon Backup & Recovery review

Questions people ask

Is AOMEI Backupper or Paragon Backup & Recovery better?
Neither clearly leads. AOMEI Backupper starts at Free and Paragon Backup & Recovery at $50/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AOMEI Backupper or Paragon Backup & Recovery?
AOMEI Backupper has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AOMEI Backupper and $50/year for Paragon Backup & Recovery.
Does AOMEI Backupper or Paragon Backup & Recovery run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use AOMEI Backupper for free?
Yes. AOMEI Backupper has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paragon Backup & Recovery starts at $50/year.
What is AOMEI Backupper best used for?
AOMEI Backupper is most often used for free disk and file backup on a personal windows machine, system image and bare metal recovery, cloning a drive when upgrading to a larger disk on the paid editions, scheduled incremental backups. Of those, free disk and file backup on a personal windows machine and system image and bare metal recovery are not what Paragon Backup & Recovery is typically brought in for.
What can AOMEI Backupper do that Paragon Backup & Recovery cannot?
AOMEI Backupper covers System backup, Disk clone, File sync, Real-time sync. Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup, File-level backup, Incremental/differential, Recovery media. Both handle Network shares, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AOMEI Backupper: Is AOMEI Backupper free?

Yes, AOMEI Backupper Standard Edition is free forever. Professional Edition costs $39.95 and Workstation Edition costs $49.95 as one-time purchases, with a 90-day money-back guarantee.

Source
Paragon Backup & Recovery: Is Paragon Backup & Recovery still available?

No, Paragon Backup & Recovery has been unavailable since October 8, 2025, and is marked as a legacy product. Business customers are directed to explore alternative products for business use.

Source
AOMEI Backupper: Can AOMEI Backupper clone system drives?

System drive cloning requires Professional Edition ($39.95) or Workstation Edition ($49.95). The free Standard Edition supports data disk cloning only.

Source
Paragon Backup & Recovery: How much does Paragon Backup & Recovery cost?

No pricing information is published. The product is restricted to home use only and customers must contact Paragon's sales team directly for any inquiries.

Source
AOMEI Backupper: How many PCs can one AOMEI Backupper license cover?

Each AOMEI Backupper license covers 1 PC only. Separate licenses are required for multiple computers.

Source
Paragon Backup & Recovery: What should business users do if they used Paragon Backup & Recovery?

Business customers are recommended to explore the company's other products designed for business use and contact the sales team for alternative solutions.

Source
AOMEI Backupper: What backup features are included in each edition?

Standard is free but limited to data disk cloning. Professional ($39.95) and Workstation ($49.95) both include system cloning, differential backup, and cloud backup. Workstation also offers faster task execution speeds.

Source
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